Undying Heart
by Blonde Panther
Summary: Between FE7 and FE6, slight AU. While Roy is abroad for his studies, Eliwood collapses out of seemingly nowhere. It isn't the first time, but the near future looks very grim for the marquess of Pherae. Rated for character death.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **All your Fire Emblem are belong to Intelligent Systems.

**Characters:** Hector, Eliwood, Roy.

**Pairings:** None of immediate importance. But for those of you who avoid certain pairings, Eliwood/Ninian is hinted at in part two, as is Roy/Lilina.

**Warnings: **Character death, leading to slight AU.

_**Author's Notes: **__Those of you hoping for a Beyond the Gate update, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. My creative mind works very oddly, and somehow I can't bring it up lately to work on a large, multi-chapter, weekly fic. This doesn't mean Beyond the Gate is cancelled, merely on hiatus. Once I have two or three more chapters on it, I'll resume updating it weekly._

_Until then I'll update irregularly with one-shots and the like. Very sorry about this, but when it comes to large projects I really don't want to botch things._

_Also FFNet needs a more efficient way to do stuff like this. If there is a way that doesn't involve looking up the people who follow the fic instead of myself and sending separate PMs to all of them, please let me know._

* * *

"Hector." He turned around at the sound of his friend's voice. "You look well, for having to govern Ositia as well as raise a daughter on your own."

"Eliwood." Hector wished the same could be said for the redhead. Hector didn't want to think it, but maybe governing Pherae was too much for Eliwood… the people clearly loved him and he was a devoted and just ruler, but he looked incredibly tired. "...you as well. Although your son's been taken off your hands by his studies."

Eliwood chuckled. "He's growing up far too fast."

"He's not the only one," Hector admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Actually…"

"Yes… that's why you're here." Eliwood suddenly became serious. "Come. This is something I want to discuss in private."

Hector, too, had hoped it wouldn't have come to this, but it was inevitable really. With the heirs to the two most powerful Lycian territories being what they were… If they didn't do it now someone would do it for them and that would not lead to favorable conditions for either-

"Eliwood!" The General's train of thought was interrupted when Eliwood suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his chest. Hector caught up to him, not knowing what to do when his friend started taking short, choppy breaths. "What's happening to you?" He wasn't sure why he asked that, seeing as Eliwood was obviously in no state to answer him. He heard footsteps behind him, and looked over his shoulder to see a familiar face. "Marcus! Get a blasted-"

"-Healer! I'm on my way!" Hector didn't know what the Paladin had been doing, but he sure dropped it all to rush off in search of someone who could help his liege.

* * *

Hector rested his head on his arms, leaning on the back rest of the chair he was sitting on, looking at the bed further in the room. Lady Eleanora was mostly in his line of sight, but he wouldn't dream of telling the former marchioness to move. He'd say his heart had stopped when he saw Eliwood collapsing, but considering the circumstances that would just not be right.

A heart attack. And judging from the swiftness with which Marcus had recognized it, as well as the experience lady Eleanora apparently had in responding to it, not the first. "…he should be stable," she said, her voice a little shaky. Hector hardly even heard it. He had never known Eliwood suffered of a heart problem… But the redhead seemed to be approachable right now. Healing magic really was something.

"I only have two questions," Hector said, drawing his friend's attention over to him as lady Eleanora scooted over so they could look at each other. "First, how have you kept this a secret from me for so long, and second, for how much longer where you going to?"

Eliwood was apparently unable to sit up. "I was going to tell you," he managed, although clearly not happily. "There was just never a good time."

"Sometime before you scared me to death would have been good." Hector couldn't even make his voice sound angry. A realization had hit him, something that reminded him of a painful farewell he'd had to say in the past. "This will be the end of you, Eliwood. It's going to kill you."

"It is," he acknowledged. "That's why I wanted to get things with Roy and Lilina over with… that way I'd know everything was taken care of when I go."

Hector was both relieved that Eliwood at least acknowledged the seriousness of his disease and shocked at how easily he accepted his own impending death. "…does he know? Roy?"

Eliwood remained silent. Hector took it as a no. "Gods, Eliwood. Were you planning on ever telling anyone you were going to die before 40?" It was out before he realized it. But he knew it was true; he needed only look at Eliwood to know that. Lady Eleanora knew it, too… and Eliwood didn't just know it, he had _peace_ with it.

"You make it sound simple, Hector. I can't count the times I've been about to tell him. Or you, for that matter…" He sighed, shaking his head. "I suppose in the end I didn't want to burden you with the knowledge." He shut his eyes, with an expression Hector recognized as indicating he was thinking on something. "…could you do me a favor, Hector..?"

"Anything." It wasn't until Hector had uttered the word that he realized Eliwood might ask him to put him out of his misery- no way, surely he wouldn't ask that with his mother right there in the room!

"Roy is in Ositia for his studies…" Eliwood opened his eyes. "Can you send a messenger there to send him home? I… he has a right to know. It's my last chance to tell him."

It was a relief to hear. "I'll take care of it. …later."

Lady Eleanora put one hand on his shoulder to draw his attention. "I think it would be best for you to go now, lord Hector." He looked up at her. She, too, clearly suffered under this. "Eliwood needs rest…"

"Ah, right…" He stood up, getting the hint. Judging from the way lady Eleanora looked at her son, and the staff she was holding, she was going to force Eliwood to sleep.

The best way to make sure Roy would come to Pherae would be to go back to Ositia himself, but considering the state Eliwood was in, Hector didn't want to leave. He didn't want to get the letter informing him of his friend's death a week after it happened.

"Marcus," he addressed the aging Paladin by the door, "Do you know where I can find Merlinus?"

* * *

_**Additional Author's notes: **__This is a two-shot, not a one-shot. In two weeks, May 20__th__, I will update with part two. I might have the start to a different thing up before then, but I'm not making any promises on those._


	2. Chapter 2

Roy didn't understand. Merlinus had sent him a Pegasus Knight with a message: return to Pherae without delay. Request from lord Eliwood, although it had apparently been signed by lord Hector instead. It was all very strange, but Lilina had insisted that he went and he had trouble refusing her.

Besides, there had to be a very good reason for lord Hector, his father, or both to summon him back home so close to his exams. In fairness, there was something he wanted to speak to his father about, as well… but he could have waited until after exams. He shook his head, bending forward into the leather bag between his feet. Normally he'd travel on horseback, but the teacher he had approached about his leave from class had made a carriage available for him.

If he pondered on this any longer, he'd drive himself mad. With no horse under him to focus his attention on, he instead pulled out a textbook on war tactics. He had a reputation to keep once he returned.

* * *

"Oh, there you are." When he walked through the halls of the castle, looking for his father, Roy was instead approached by his grandmother. "What took you so long?"

Greeting her with the practically mandatory embrace and kiss on the cheek, Roy hid his confusion. She knew well that Ositia was on the other end of Lycia. When they had sent the Pegasus Knight yesterday afternoon and she arrived last night, it was obvious Roy would take an entire day to arrange things and cross the distance.

"Grandmother," he said, now concerned, "Where is father?" It was nothing like lord Eliwood to keep him waiting. Normally when he knew Roy was coming home, he was the first person to greet him at the stables, rather than waiting for him to come inside the castle and find him like many noblemen apparently did.

Before his grandmother could answer him, another familiar voice found its way to his ears. "He's finally here? Took you long enough." It was lord Hector, in his full six feet many inches, but much like lady Eleanora, he wasn't making sense. Out of everyone in the entire castle _he_ should have known how far it was from here to Ositia. "Come on, Roy. Your father wants to see you."

"I know. Why isn't he here?" He looked at both of them. "Something's obviously going on here. What is it?"

Lord Hector and lady Eleanora exchanged glances, but then Hector let go of Roy and stepped back, nodding to the lad's grandmother. "Listen, Roy… it's better that you hear it from your father himself."

He figured that much. By now, Roy was starting to get seriously worried. Whatever this was, it was serious. And it obviously involved his father more than the message had implied. He followed his grandmother, and the further the went the surer he got. They were headed for his father's bedroom. His concern now stronger than himself, he passed by his grandmother and went in ahead of her.

He was in for a shock. He thought it was strange for his father to be in bed at this time, but he had not been prepared to see him in this bad a state. Most people would only see exhaustion in the marquess, but Roy knew his father well and almost _felt_ that this exhaustion was different from that which lord Eliwood commonly suffered under. "Father."

"Roy." Lord Eliwood turned his head, and started trying to sit up. "I'm glad you could come home this quickly…" Roy felt compelled to help, but by the time he reached the bed lord Eliwood had gestured that he'd be fine and that Roy should sit down. "…there's something I want to talk about."

Roy kept any witty remarks about having gotten that far on his own to himself. "It must be urgent if you pulled me from Ositia just before exams. …what is it?"

Lord Eliwood hesitated, but then dropped a bomb on Roy. "I… have a problem with my heart. I didn't want to tell you this because it shouldn't push on your shoulders, but… something happened and I realized… I may not have a lot of time left in this world." Roy became silent. Lord Eliwood gave him time to realize the full extent of what his words meant, but then grabbed his hand, drawing his attention. "…we need to discuss your future, Roy."

The future… of course. Aside from lady Eleanora, there was no one around who could really govern Pherae once lord Eliwood would be gone. If his father died, Roy would have to take over his title as Marquess Pherae. "I don't really know what to…"

Lord Eliwood squeezed his hand. "That's okay. I don't expect you to take my place tomorrow. I just wanted to ask… it may be a little early, but I wanted to ask what you were planning on doing after your graduation."

Roy didn't answer, simply shaking his head. He didn't want to think about coronations and marriages, even if he could possibly have done so. The man who had always been such a great example to him and had raised him with affection even through his own pain after the passing of his wife… was going to die.

"Roy."

"I don't know," he blurted out. "I have two more years before final exams. I wanted to maybe get some military training afterwards, you know, enroll in Pherae's cavalry under Marcus or something, but I guess that's not going to happen now…"

"It could. And it may be a good idea… but Roy, there's something else you have to be thoughtful of. As marquess of the second most powerful territory in Lycia…"

"I know." Roy shook his head. "Political marriage."

"That can be avoided… I know you well, Roy." Lord Eliwood smiled at his son. "There's something on your mind. Is there a woman you're… interested in?"

Roy mumbled something under his breath, too embarrassed to say it out loud. "I didn't quite catch that, Roy."

"I…" He swallowed and took a deep breath. "…could I get Mother's ring?"

"I need to know who it's for, Roy." The marquess chuckled. "…I would say that ring is important to me, but then again I won't need it anymore soon… Just tell me who my daughter-in-law-to-be is."

"…Lilina." Roy turned beet red upon saying that. However, he looked up in surprise when warm metal fell in his hand. He looked at it, recognizing the black metal ring with the small ruby. "…are you sure?"

"If Hector gives his blessing, then you'll have mine as well. Under one condition." A small grin found its way to his face. "You're the one who's going to ask him. …after I run you through the process of your succession."

"Y-Yes, father."

* * *

Seven years later, Roy found himself kneeling at the headstone. His father had passed away even sooner than they had anticipated. At least he had gone peacefully, though- from what Roy had overheard from the healers, he hadn't even noticed his heart had stopped beating while he slept. Roy found a certain comfort in that.

Now as king of a united Lycia, Roy hadn't wanted to disrespect his parents by taking their remains to Ositia. Instead, he opted to regularly visit his old home and their shared grave. He did not talk, and he had forgotten to bring flowers yet again. After what seemed like an eternity of just sitting there, he got up, unsheathed his silver sword and stuck it into the earth, before turning around and walking away.

As he climbed aboard his horse, he looked at the now clearly distinctive grave and sighed. Neither he nor Lilina had the luxury of their parents ever seeing them in their new, pride-worthy positions. Still, Roy was pretty sure that as long as he respected the ideals and morals taught to him…

His mirror image and father would never truly die.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_ _Gah. I almost forgot I had to update this when I set to work on my novel. . The conversation between Eliwood and Roy was a pain in the neck to write, maybe because I've never been there myself. And I'd add endings to the list of things I can't write but that would double-list them. Ahh, well. I'll probably return to this and amend it sometime._


End file.
